Exercise: would you count it?

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PaulieUK
PaulieUK Posts: 11
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey :smile:

When counting exercise I would normally only count calories burnt when I purposely exercise (i.e. I wouldn't count housework or any such thing) but...

I walk for 30 minutes to the train station from home (and the same back again). At work I've just moved to another building which is a 10-15 minute walk further plus I'm on the 5th floor, and because I have a phobia of lifts I walk up all 102 steps. If this was you would you count all this as exercise? It could potentially be 90 minutes walking plus climbing the stairs...

What do you all think?

Thanks,
Paul

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    if you alwaysa do it, why not change your base MFP activity levle?
  • helyg
    helyg Posts: 675 Member
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    I count my daily walk to the kids' school and my work. It is 3 miles altogether.

    I have seen people log housework and food prep so I'm sure my school run counts as legitimate exercise!
  • 126siany
    126siany Posts: 1,386 Member
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    if you alwaysa do it, why not change your base MFP activity levle?

    I agree with this. Increase your activity level in your MFP goals and settings.
  • ktied
    ktied Posts: 137 Member
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    if you alwaysa do it, why not change your base MFP activity levle?

    I agree with this. Increase your activity level in your MFP goals and settings.

    I third this =)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I have my activity level as sedentary, so I count just about everything. But, I agree with the poster above. If it is going to be a permanent change, you might consider changing your activity level setting instead of logging the same thing each day.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    I would count it one way or another - either in activity setting, or as logged exercise. Personally, if I was doing that everyday, I would prefer to count it as part of my activity level and not have to worry about logging it. My activity level is set at "sedentary". That wouldn't be appropriate if I was doing all that you're doing in your daily life. I'd have it as "lightly active" at least, maybe more depending on what the rest of your day looks like.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    You can do it one of two ways:

    1. Count it.
    2. Adjust your lifestyle up from "sedentary" to account for it. "Lightly Active" would probably be about right.

    Either way, your allotted calories will increase a little each day to accommodate for the extra activity, and either way it'll probably be by the same few hundred calories. It just depends on how precise you want to be, and how much effort you want to put in to tracking it.
  • kjerstenkipp
    kjerstenkipp Posts: 139 Member
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    if you alwaysa do it, why not change your base MFP activity levle?

    I agree with this. Increase your activity level in your MFP goals and settings.

    ^^^^I second this thought (actually third this thought) ^^^^
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,590 Member
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    Yep, I have a similar work/walk routine, and got fed up logging it every day so upped from sedentary to lightly active and now only log walks if it is in addition to the routine.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    If it's a sort of cleaning that I don't normally do then I'll count it. Like a few weeks ago I cleaned the house for 2.5 hours on two days. I worked up a sweat, it was cleaning that I don't normally do so I counted it.
  • PaulieUK
    PaulieUK Posts: 11
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    Thanks all :flowerforyou:
  • JayKitten13
    JayKitten13 Posts: 1
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    I'd count it if you don't do it every day of the week. For me, I decided that rushing back and forth from one end of campus to the other and up and down stairs all day (my classes always seem to be at the farthest corners from one another) constituted lightly active because I do it daily regardless of weather, but I log the walk between my apartment and campus because some days I drive or take the bus due to weather/running late/need to transport an awkward object.

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